This interview is a continuation of Bob Jones’ first interview from May 2008. In that interview, equipment limitations resulted in an abrupt conclusion to the recording. This interview picks up where his first interview finished: his journey from the Hanoi Hilton to the Gia Lam Airport, where C-141s were waiting to pick up the Prisoners of War. He was in the third group released because, even though he had been a prisoner for five years, there were two groups ahead of him who had been held longer. Throughout the repatriation ceremony, none of the prisoners showed any emotion, having agreed among themselves to remain stoic because of how the North Vietnamese had treated them, and they were determined not to give North Vietnam the propaganda victory of allowing the captors to appear benevolent.
George Coker: A story of perseverance
It was supposed to be a routine mission, a “milk run” in the words of George Coker, who was serving on his 55th missions in Vietnam as a bombardier/navigator. Usually, his missions consisted of flying over Vietnam from the aircraft carrier USS Constellation and bombing strategic points like bridges and
